Hello All. Thank you so much Suleika. The title had me. And from all of the readings these beautiful gems: "The promise of spring, to me, is not that we will become something new, but that we might become quiet enough to notice what is already beginning." "That we might tend to what is emerging—not by insisting, but by paying attention."
"Everything emerges according to its own internal timing, which cannot be forced, only tended."
"To allow something to arrive, rather than forcing it into form."
"We learn recollection, which consists in listening for God’s will, in direct and simple attention to reality. Recollection is awareness of the unconditional."
I have been with so much medical and hospitals this week again. I had multiple scans. And then Friday had to take my mom to the ER and they were so swamped and we were there 10 hours. I am grateful for how they took good care of my mom and she is back to her facility. I also attended my first virtual support group for my rare cancer and I am overwhelmed with resources. And so I really want to hear more about journaling groups. And today is going to be 65. And so my husband and I are going for a slow walk in woods. I am so grateful fo each of you. Take care.
Hug one for me too. I will be visiting a friend today who is in Hospice and I am dealing with my own cancer. A walk in the woods sounds lovely. I am not a “natural” journaler, but I have found
Suleikas prompts to be so helpful. Happy Birthday!
I found this post seemingly at random in the middle of the night when I was drawn to Wispr a note to my iPhone to save a few thoughts and ideas that were keeping me awake. I've always loved Thomas Merton and was delighted to see the reference to his understanding of prayer. Thank you for this, an answered prayer before dawn in Sanibel. 🌴🙏
I only recently have taken up a journaling practice, inspired by your new year's tradition.
It's become a real gift and way of knowing myself.
I experimented with the prompt today, a little hesitant but also curious what might appear in the silence. In the end, these words appeared, which made me gasp.
Let myself have love.
Thank you, for inspiring this practice. Thank you, to this whole community, for showing up in the world.
I love this essay Suleika. I too have been thinking and writing about noticing these days, paying attention to what shows up when we allow the observed or created dust or noise to settle.
I loved the erasure exercise from the journaling challenge, so I’m surprised by how uncomfortable this prompt makes me. To notice a truth. I’m curious to see what comes up. Thanks for your lovely writing this Sunday morning.
Lately I keep reading from various sources “Attention is loving”. Suleika, what a lovely Opening the window and door to Spring you explored today.
I am reminded of the Japanese term “Ma”. After playing a musical phrase with the Shakuhachi, one breathes deeply into a substantial silent pause. As though giving the flute player and listeners a rich moment to absorb and integrate the flute’s sound. For some reason I tend to think of Western music as more inclined to keep moving, filling space with multitudes of notes.
One of my favorite David Budbill poems is this:
Pare Everything Down to Almost Nothing
then cut the rest,
and you’ve got
the poem
I’m trying to write.
What comes to the surface this morning with Erasure writing is this:
As the trees and flowers are nourished
Into being by Spring’s warmth
Arising in me is a delight
In seeing and saying hello and
Welcome to Spring’s particular Beauty
Love, attending to, listening to, turning towards, allowing the sap of all these human emotions to arise, flow, and transform me into We.🏮
As someone who lives in the still snowy woods of the Adirondacks, I loved your description of March. Perfect. And I love living here because of the silence. So thank you for this essay and prompt.
Suleika, your writing keeps cracking open and more open and more open. This one feels as if it had been written with something besides words. And this erasure poem is gorgeous.
Very moving, lovely reading for this cold March morning in the northeast. Thank you! At first the prompt seemed too difficult for me today, I thought I didn’t have enough time but then I remembered that I’ve been thinking about the poem The Raven lately (unsure why exactly) so I found a copy and began and created something new by erasure. I did it!
A beautiful description of spring’s arrival Suleika, thank you. The most notable sign in my neighborhood is the birdsong in the early morning. Especially cardinals. The males are so loud! I wonder if they’re competing to find a mate. Yesterday I saw yellow finches among the other regulars,also snowdrops and croci emerging. It is all in the noticing, isn’t it?
thank you for linking to Ada Limón's poem, Instructions on Not Giving Up, and Patti Digh's beautiful comment on spring, just posted on friday. both very apropo of today's essay and prompt.
Hello All. Thank you so much Suleika. The title had me. And from all of the readings these beautiful gems: "The promise of spring, to me, is not that we will become something new, but that we might become quiet enough to notice what is already beginning." "That we might tend to what is emerging—not by insisting, but by paying attention."
"Everything emerges according to its own internal timing, which cannot be forced, only tended."
"To allow something to arrive, rather than forcing it into form."
"We learn recollection, which consists in listening for God’s will, in direct and simple attention to reality. Recollection is awareness of the unconditional."
I have been with so much medical and hospitals this week again. I had multiple scans. And then Friday had to take my mom to the ER and they were so swamped and we were there 10 hours. I am grateful for how they took good care of my mom and she is back to her facility. I also attended my first virtual support group for my rare cancer and I am overwhelmed with resources. And so I really want to hear more about journaling groups. And today is going to be 65. And so my husband and I are going for a slow walk in woods. I am so grateful fo each of you. Take care.
Big hug, Gina. Ooof I know those long ER campouts. I hope you have a beautiful roam around the woods. Hug a tree for me. xo
Thank you Victoria. My husband loves hugging trees. I will make sure he hugs extra for you!
Hug one for me too. I will be visiting a friend today who is in Hospice and I am dealing with my own cancer. A walk in the woods sounds lovely. I am not a “natural” journaler, but I have found
Suleikas prompts to be so helpful. Happy Birthday!
Hugs of trees for all !! Maybe we could do a virtual walk in the woods. 💕
Sounds like you had a tough week. Hugs to you and glad it’s gonna be warmer today and that you’re going to see the beauty in the woods ❤️
Thank you so much for your beautiful message
It is good that you are taking “space,” the pause necessary from the ER and to your own inner sanctum in the woods.
Thank you for the wonderful message!
Hi Gina. Sending a big hug. Always wishing you bright days ahead.💕
Thank you so much.❤️
Hello All. I am so looking forward to watching today's video.
An erased poem found inside the uncontrollable world of my mom’s dementia.
Loss, like love whispered. Her soul, clear, familiar, a force. Its welcome sun still rumbling on.
*Thank you for this healing prompt. ❤️
i so understand your beautiful poem. this was my father. i've tried to explain this to my young adult children. now i can show them your poem.
❤️❤️❤️
I found this post seemingly at random in the middle of the night when I was drawn to Wispr a note to my iPhone to save a few thoughts and ideas that were keeping me awake. I've always loved Thomas Merton and was delighted to see the reference to his understanding of prayer. Thank you for this, an answered prayer before dawn in Sanibel. 🌴🙏
It is the middle of the night here in Tucson.. do you live on Sanibel Island? I love that place!
Yes!
silence the outside
babbling commentary
in my mind persists
notice
breathe
Yes I feel that.
I only recently have taken up a journaling practice, inspired by your new year's tradition.
It's become a real gift and way of knowing myself.
I experimented with the prompt today, a little hesitant but also curious what might appear in the silence. In the end, these words appeared, which made me gasp.
Let myself have love.
Thank you, for inspiring this practice. Thank you, to this whole community, for showing up in the world.
And your phrase feels so true.
Probably the most perfect description of March and slowly approaching springtime I have ever read. Thanks Suleika. Again help me open my mind.
I love this essay Suleika. I too have been thinking and writing about noticing these days, paying attention to what shows up when we allow the observed or created dust or noise to settle.
I loved the erasure exercise from the journaling challenge, so I’m surprised by how uncomfortable this prompt makes me. To notice a truth. I’m curious to see what comes up. Thanks for your lovely writing this Sunday morning.
Lately I keep reading from various sources “Attention is loving”. Suleika, what a lovely Opening the window and door to Spring you explored today.
I am reminded of the Japanese term “Ma”. After playing a musical phrase with the Shakuhachi, one breathes deeply into a substantial silent pause. As though giving the flute player and listeners a rich moment to absorb and integrate the flute’s sound. For some reason I tend to think of Western music as more inclined to keep moving, filling space with multitudes of notes.
One of my favorite David Budbill poems is this:
Pare Everything Down to Almost Nothing
then cut the rest,
and you’ve got
the poem
I’m trying to write.
What comes to the surface this morning with Erasure writing is this:
As the trees and flowers are nourished
Into being by Spring’s warmth
Arising in me is a delight
In seeing and saying hello and
Welcome to Spring’s particular Beauty
Love, attending to, listening to, turning towards, allowing the sap of all these human emotions to arise, flow, and transform me into We.🏮
Thank you. Your sharing is very connecting to the acceptance of t
silence and beauty .
As someone who lives in the still snowy woods of the Adirondacks, I loved your description of March. Perfect. And I love living here because of the silence. So thank you for this essay and prompt.
Suleika, your writing keeps cracking open and more open and more open. This one feels as if it had been written with something besides words. And this erasure poem is gorgeous.
Absolutely agree Beth! What a beautiful passage to wake up to read this morning Suleika!
We are of like minds!
Hugs and best wishes to you, Suleika, Holly and Carmen. I'm sorry I won't be with everyone in the journaling club.
An erasure poem: "Holding space to hear the music".
The rests between the notes of doing
hold breath and mind
pause. Uncertainty may tip to angst
but still.
I hold space gently
without expectation or fear.
Letting go.
Heal the space ...and exhale the moment
Move through... the phrase
and hear the music.
In the silence
In the middle of the night
I breathe
I stop
At the edge of dawn
At the edge of Spring
~ Deborah Colette Murphy💟 from down a dirt road in the woods of southern Oregon
Very moving, lovely reading for this cold March morning in the northeast. Thank you! At first the prompt seemed too difficult for me today, I thought I didn’t have enough time but then I remembered that I’ve been thinking about the poem The Raven lately (unsure why exactly) so I found a copy and began and created something new by erasure. I did it!
I also thought this one was too hard for me today - i'm glad we pushed through!
A beautiful description of spring’s arrival Suleika, thank you. The most notable sign in my neighborhood is the birdsong in the early morning. Especially cardinals. The males are so loud! I wonder if they’re competing to find a mate. Yesterday I saw yellow finches among the other regulars,also snowdrops and croci emerging. It is all in the noticing, isn’t it?
Moving reflections Suleika. Very complementary to this I read yesterday: https://pattidigh.substack.com/p/instructions-on-not-giving-up?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=fblfi
thank you for linking to Ada Limón's poem, Instructions on Not Giving Up, and Patti Digh's beautiful comment on spring, just posted on friday. both very apropo of today's essay and prompt.
God spoke today in flowers,
and I, who was waiting on words,
almost missed the conversation.
~Ingrid Goff-Maidoff
Thank you Suleika and Rebecca.